


a matter of high respect

by 4wholecats



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Thracia 776
Genre: Gen, g1 finn and leif are the same age. interesting., tanya voice HOW ARE YOU SO SMALL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:47:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28723101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4wholecats/pseuds/4wholecats
Summary: Finn, squire of Quan, arrives in Askr and is disappointed to find that his friends from Leonster haven't made it yet.The Fiana Freeblades take notice of this.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	a matter of high respect

**Author's Note:**

> tanya to the fiana daycare groupchat: NEW FINN JUST DROPPED  
> everyone else: POG

Askr castle is big. Big to the point of hilarity. Every hallway is graced with vaulted marble ceilings more befitting of a cathedral than a military base. Even the barracks are ridiculously spacious. 

Finn hugs the walls as he walks, not wanting to get in anyone’s way as he marches along. The training grounds are his target, but in truth, no one had instructed him on how to get there. So he wanders, peering down hallways as he goes, occasionally shuffling out of the way of any senior soldiers that pass by. Perhaps he should turn around and ask Lord Quan for directions-

He rounds a corner and smacks his nose into something that yelps loudly. He loses his balance before tumbling backwards, heel slipping on the finely polished stone floor. His back thuds against the ground, knocking the wind out of his lungs before he can even consider yelling out in surprise. 

“Woah-  _ hey! _ ” A girl’s voice, loud and slightly abrasive, meets his ears as he rolls onto his side. A mere second passes before a hand closes around the collar of his shirt, hauling him back to his feet.

The irritated snarl of a teenage girl enters his vision, and for the first time since coming to Askr, Finn feels like he might be in danger. She’s taller than him; only by a few inches, but it’s enough to leave him standing on his toes as she shoves him back, hand still balled in the fabric of his shirt.

“Watch where you’re going, _ kid, _ ” she huffs, finally releasing him. He stumbles back a few feet, scrambling to straighten his clothes and get out of her way.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...” He trails off as much of the anger leaves her face, though her brow still remains wrinkled in annoyance.

“Ugh,” She dusts off her hands dramatically before shoving them into her pockets. Her clothes are plain in both color and style; the outfit of a common villager. “It’s... whatever. Just… watch where you’re going next time.”

He nods vigorously. She doesn’t seem to be as upset as Finn had originally assumed… but even something as simple as an argument could tarnish Lord Quan’s good name… and that was not the way Finn wanted to start his life in this strange new world. 

She sidles past him, and he turns around to watch her go. Reminded of his quest, he opens his mouth again, coughing to get her attention. She looks over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow.

“...Yes?”

“Uh… I was wondering if you would be able to tell me… where the training grounds are?”

She turns around fully, gesturing down the hall. “Take the last door on the left and go down the stairs. It’s the second exit once you reach the main hall.”

He bows slightly in thanks. “I appreciate it, Miss…”

She snorts, scrutinizing his appearance for a moment. “Tanya. You don’t have to be so formal; I’m just some village girl. I may have a strong bow arm, but that doesn’t grant me any titles.”

He nods slightly. “I see. Well, my name’s Finn. Finn of Leonster. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

Her eyes flash with something then, and when she looks at him again, it’s with a hardened, almost fearful expression; as if she’d seen a ghost. She stares into his eyes for a harsh moment, studying him. He dares not move, lest she attempt to grab him again, but before he can ask her what’s wrong, the look fades back into a half-easy smile.

“Er- well…  _ Finn _ . Pleasure to meet you. I have to go… talk to people. At places. So I’ll see you around.” 

And with that, she’s off, speeding down the hallway with a newfound urgency that leaves the squire alone and confused in the empty corridor. 

“What a strange girl…”

\---

The mess hall in Askr is just as grandiose as the rest of the place, but perhaps a tad bit more chaotic. There are lots of empty tables, but Finn finds himself glued to the wall, unwilling to step out into the open. Back in Leonster, there was an unspoken rule when it came to tables; once you sit somewhere, that’s your seat forever. Afraid of taking someone else’s spot, he hovers on the edge of the mid-day excitement, constantly on the lookout for a familiar face in the crowd. Normally he would eat with Glade and the other young men of his regiment, but none of them seemed to be here…

“Hey!”

He glances up, only to catch sight of a boy about his age making his way over to the wall where he stands. Finn recognized him, but from where, he isn’t sure. The kid stops just short of Finn’s reach, and smiles.

“You’re new, right?”

“Uh… yes. Arrived just last night,” Finn nods. The boy smiles, and it’s so familiar that Finn feels uncomfortable.

“That’s pretty cool… Say, are you looking for somewhere to sit? My friends and I have room at our table,” the boys says, nodding in the direction of what Finn assumes are his spoken-of companions.

“... If it’s not much trouble…” Finn says, offering both a thankful smile and his hand. “I’m Finn of Leonster, by the way.”

The boy grins, and another wave of familiarity swoops over the young soldier. Surely, if he didn’t figure this out, it would drive him mad… “Pleasure to meet you. My name’s Leif- why don’t we walk on over and see if we can make some room for you?”

The table of friends in question is already rather packed, but the young warriors are more than happy to scoot their chairs closer in order to make room for one more. Finn doesn’t miss the way the others’ eyes seem to meet over the table; communications being silently sent from person to person over his head. Perhaps they are assessing his worthiness to be a part of their group? Finn sincerely hopes he’s made a good first impression.

He makes eye contact with the girl next to him, and his heart sinks when he realizes that no, he certainly has not.

“Well look who it is,” Tanya drawls, elbows on the table and chin resting in her hands. She’s smiling now, but it’s a hungry, knowing smile that makes Finn feel like he’s being left out of a joke. 

“Er- Hello, Tanya. It’s… nice to see you again.”

She grins, leaning over him slightly. Maybe it’s because she’s older than him, or maybe it’s because he still feels a bit bad, but he shrinks back a little, not wanting to get in her way again. A muffled thud from under the table is followed by a hiss from Tanya, who returns to her personal space with a hiss and a mumbled “ _ Ouch! _ ”

“So! Finn,” a friendly looking blonde girl pipes up from across the way, and the young knight can’t help but realize that she too reminds him of someone, though their identity escapes him. “You just arrived?”

“Yes, last night. Today is my first day.”

“How wonderful! Are you finding everything okay?”

“Did you ever find the training grounds?” Tanya mumbles, voice laced with a thin layer of mocking. A large young man with biceps the size of Finn’s head smacks her lightly on the shoulder. “Fine- fine, I’ll stop.”

“I did, eventually… and yes, everything has been wonderful so far. It’s very different from home, though…”

“How so?” Leif asks from next to Finn, one eyebrow raised curiously.

“There’s so many people here… and they’re all so different from one another… Where I come from, Leonster, the only soldiers I have much contact with are lance knights.”

“Leonster’s known for their lancers?” A dark haired girl asks over her mug. Her eyes move from Finn to Leif questioningly.

“Yes- Our holy weapon is the lance Gáe Bolg, so it’s traditional that soldiers of Leonster wield lances as well.”

“Oh, how interesting!” The blonde girl smiles. “Say, I don’t think we’ve gotten the chance to introduce ourselves… I’m Nanna,” she gestures to the dark haired girl, currently sporting a hot cocoa moustache “... this is Mareeta-” 

“I’m Osian!” The muscled teen says, interrupting Nanna with a grin.

“-Osian, yes, and of course you’ve already met Tanya and Leif,” she finishes, folding her thin hands in front of her. 

“How do all of you know each other?” Finn asks.

“We all grew up together in the same village!” Osian proclaims. “Say, do you re-”

He is silenced by Tanya tugging violently on his hair, a sickly-sweet smile plastered onto her face. “Don’t worry about this buffoon, he gets excited sometimes.”

The group continues to ask about Finn’s homeland and life until all of their plates are cleared, and one by one, people drift off to their duties, until only Leif and Finn remain. 

“Sorry if they can get a little wild, you know how village kids can be,” Leif says, enjoying the extra room now that they were not all squished together, shoulder to shoulder. 

Finn doesn’t know much about how village kids are, but he nods nonetheless. “No, they’re all wonderful, thank you for introducing me… I was worried I’d have to eat alone in my room today, so I appreciate you inviting me over here…”

Leif smiles. “Sure thing. You’re always welcome to hang out with us, of course. I can tell that they really like you.” 

“Even Tanya?” Finn asks, a smile creeping onto the corners of his face. 

Leif looks stunned for a second. “Oh, a sense of humor, huh? Yeah, I think she’s gotten over your little hallway collision.” The expression turns into a toothy grin. He then gets to his feet, picking up his plate as he goes. “Well, I gotta check in with my chores, otherwise Mother will have my head. Take it easy, alright?”

“Of course. You as well.”

\---

“I’m glad to hear you’ve been finding everything alright, Finn” Ethlyn says, handing him a cup of something warm and sweet smelling. Back home, Ethlyn would often invite Finn to tea, especially when Altena demanded his presence, so he was happy to oblige her. 

“Yes, everything is going great so far- I met a group of soldiers my age yesterday, and they all seem like really nice people… though I never did get the chance to ask them where they were from…”

“Oh, that matters so little here, honestly. Even something as serious as rank is basically useless in this world. Why, just the other day, I saw the queen of this realm in one of the nearby villages helping to build a house! Hammer in hand and everything!”

“That’s amazing,” Finn breathes, and Ethlyn nods along.

“Truly, I’m feeling pretty inspired myself. Perhaps I’ll go with her next time. And take Quan with me too- I think some hands-on work could be good for him. Or rather, hands-on work that doesn’t involve impaling people,” she says, voice descending into a grumble at the last bit. Finn smiles despite himself. “You’re invited too, of course, but I figure that you already have enough on your plate at the moment; getting settled in and everything. Say, have you gotten word of your first assignment yet?”

“Not yet, but I’ve met some of the people I’ll be working with… they all seem really reliable. I can’t wait to see them in action.”

“Oh yes, there’s much to learn here. Don’t let them push you too hard though. The summoner likes to rely on their favorites, and goodness knows how fast that can tire people out,” she huffs. “If I have to peel my fool of a Lord Brother off the floor of the infirmary one more time, I’m locking him in his room.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, but I don’t think I’m ready for that level of work just yet… I’m still in training after all…”

“So you are… say, some of the more experienced soldiers give free lessons to pages and squires, would you be interested? I could ask Quan to introduce you to some of his new lancer friends.”

“If it’s not too much trouble?” Finn asks, and Ethlyn laughs. 

“Of course not. They are doing it for free, of course. And I know many of them to be quite knowledgeable… lets see, there’s Sir Duessel, Sir Camus, Lady Mathilda, and of course F-” she cuts herself off, and Finn looks at her expectantly. “Er, Sir Jagen… yes, many to learn from here.”

He doesn’t question her briefly dark expression, instead nodding along silently as she collects herself. 

“You know… I really should get Leif signed up for those lessons as well… He could benefit from a proper education…”

Wait.

“...Leif?”

Ethlyn looks up from her teacup in surprise, as if she had forgotten that Finn was there. “Oh! Yes- I completely forgot to tell you in the hubbub of your arrival. Leif is our- me and Quan’s of course- son from the future! Altena’s little brother! It was so strange to meet him at first; I almost didn’t believe it… But he does look nearly identical to his father, and Seliph vouches for his identity, so I wholeheartedly believe he’s telling the truth.” She beams.

Finn stares back at her, brain completely devoid of understandable thought.

“Isn’t that wonderful? Say, he would be about your age, now that I think about it…”

Ethlyn’s eyebrows raise as she glances across the table to where Quan’s young squire sits, mouth agape. When he’s finally able to gather his thoughts, his voice is a whisper. 

“...One of the people I met yesterday was named Leif.”

“...Brown hair? On the short side? Surrounded by a gaggle of village kids?”

Finn shoves his face into his hands, brain buzzing. “Oh gods- I met Lord Leif and I didn’t even notice.”

Ethlyn looks at him, astonished. For a moment, Finn worries that she might scold him for not recognizing something that was so painfully obvious in retrospect, but the noise that leaves her mouth is far from negative. A loud cackle rings through the room as the princess throws her head back, a hand flung across her eyes.

“Are you telling me- are you telling me that he didn’t tell you?” She manages through residual giggles.

“No! Not at all- he only said his name, and I didn’t recognize it so I thought that maybe he was just one of the village kids,” Finn drags his fingers down his face in despair.

Ethlyn grins, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “Oh… I’m sorry Finn. That was cruel of him… I figured that if you met on your own, that would be the first thing he told you…”

“I’m sure he had his reasons,” Finn mumbles, still mildly horrified. Of course. Of course Leif was familiar. The boy looked nearly identical to his father. The young soldier blanches as he remembers that he had found others among the group familiar as well- who else’s children had he met without knowing?  _ And why hadn’t they told him _ ?

\---

“Finn!”

The voice startles Finn out of his reverie, reality snapping back into place in the form of Askr’s library. Leif leans casually against one of the shelves, arms crossed and a smirk on his face. Finn’s stomach sinks.

“Y-yes?”

“Listen. I wanted to apologize. I wasn’t totally honest with you the other day at lunch.”

“About what, Lord Leif?”

Leif raises a brow. “Well, I mean, it seems like you already know.”

“Lady Ethlyn told me.”

“Yeah,” Leif pushes away from the shelf, sliding into a chair across the table from Finn. “She chewed me out earlier today. I’m sorry though- I really am. When Tanya told everyone you were here, we got a little too excited, so we didn’t want to make a fuss or anything…”

“Excited? Why would any of them be excited over me?”

Leif glances around before leaning in, voice hushed. They are in a library, after all. “Well, in truth, we already know you.”

“... From where you come from?”

Leif nods. “Yeah. Uh, I think mother will be upset with me if I tell you too much about it, but all you need to know is that everyone from Fiana- so all the people we ate with the other day; they respect you a lot. And we’re really happy to see you! It’s a little weird, yeah, but we’d appreciate it if you still hung out with us from time to time.”

“... Are you sure? It seems like… I might be out of place there. I don’t want to make everyone uncomfortable… I must be much older in your world… Won’t it feel weird to have me around?”

“Finn,” Leif says, leveling his hands and gesturing forward. “I’ll be honest; it’s super weird. But, and I mean this more genuinely than I’ve meant almost anything in my life- it’s a good weird. We like seeing you so happy, and you seemed to really be enjoying yourself the other day!”

Finn’s expression falls further. “Am I… not happy in your time?”

Leif’s smile falters and fades as he puts his palms flat on the cool wood of the table. “It’s… complicated. And not really my place to say. Like I said, my mother-”

“It’s alright, I understand.” Finn interrupts. “I don’t want you to get in trouble for my sake. I’m… I’m honored that you all think so highly of me…”

“Of course! Not to put pressure on you or anything... but in my world, you’re basically my hero, so I just want to make sure that you get the most out of this opportunity like the rest of us!”

“ _ Hero? _ ” Finn sputters, book thudding onto the table with a clunk.

“Yeah, you’re gonna be one of the best knights that Leonster’s ever seen, I guarantee it!” Leif grins again. He has dimples, just like his mother. “Say, why don’t you put down that book and come with me to the training yard? I’d love to learn from one of Thracia’s future-best soldiers… I’m studying for Master, you know!”

Finn blinks, stunned. He had expected to be brushed aside once the novelty of his presence wore off, but Leif’s invitation was an honest one that came in the form of an outstretched hand. The young knight took it, giving it a firm shake.

“...I’m still studying myself, but I’d be happy to show you what I know.”

Prince Leif beams.

**Author's Note:**

> i might do a part 2 at some point bc you Know g2 finn is wandering around here somewhere
> 
> if you enjoyed, please leave a comment and maybe check out my other works!


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